Kottkamp complaint forwarded to ethics investigators

April 7, 2009|Posted by Josh Hafenbrack at 2:44 PM

The Clearwater resident who lodged an ethics complaint against Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp said he has been notified that the complaint has been forwarded to the investigative unit of the Florida Commission on Ethics.

Dave Plyer, who filed the complaint following media reports on Kottkamp?s use of state planes, said an ethics investigator, Tom Reaves, called his cell phone to say the case is under investigation.

?Reaves is one of the investigators and wanted to confirm that my only knowledge of the case was what I read in the papers,? Plyer said. ?I said that it was.?

The Sun Sentinel first reported on Kottkamp?s extensive flight log, which included 365 flights topping $400,000 in taxpayer expense in his first two years in office. Two-thirds of those flights involved getting the lieutenant governor to and from Fort Myers, his hometown. (A state law until last July barred public officials from using state aircraft for commuting, although Kottkamp was careful to schedule events like business lunches and school visits during his trips home.)

Also, Kottkamp made use of a Florida Highway Patrol airplane ? including two trips detailed this weekend that appeared to involve no public business.

Following the Sun Sentinel investigations, the lieutenant governor has reimbursed the state $10,400 for flights taken by his wife and toddler son.

The Florida Democratic Party earlier today called for an investigation into the matter. Read more on the party?s press release here.